The Basic build order looks like this:
9 Pylon
12 Gateway
14 Gas
16 Pylon
Cybernetics Core as soon as Gateway finishes
Second Gas when 75 minerals are available (usually ~19 supply)
Start on first Zealot when you have 100 minerals
Stargate right when Cybernetics Core finishes
Second Gateway as soon as you can afford it
Warp Gate when you can after Stargate and first Sentry are started
Third Gateway when you start noticing a mineral pileup
Key Points:
- Use all your chrono boosts on probes early on, and never stop producing out of your gateway until you need to stop to get your first void (if you need to).
- Once you start voidray production, never stop, and use all your chrono boost on your stargate from here on.
- Make 2 sentries early, they are invaluable tools in beating pure stalker armies, keep them protected, replace them as you can afford it, they save your arse.
- 2 guys on each gas geyser is enough to make nonstop chrono boosted voids out of 1 stargate, so you will have extra gas. Use it for stalkers or sentries or ups, your choice.
- You can fully produce out of 1 Stargate and 3 Gateways on one base at max saturation, I tend to do 2 stargate + 4 gateway for when I get my first expo up, and go from there.
- If you get in their base, Cyber Core is the highest priority target, without it your opponent cannot make Anti Air.
- If you deny scouting and your opponent is going 2 or 3 Gate Robo, by the time his Observer gets to your base it's too late and you should have a Build Order Win.
- Keep the Voids/Zealots/Sentries together, you're not trying to Cheese here, this is a great army composition.
- If you smell DTs throw down a forge and a cannon at your front as you won't have a Robo for Observers. In fact, once you've expo'd it's probably a good idea anyways.
Tips:
- I usually put the first pylon and gateway at the ramp and keep scouts out with a hold position Probe while waiting for the first Zealot, and put the other Pylons/Cyber/Stargate elsewhere in my base.
- Rally the Stargate to the voids to make sure they all stay together.
- Your ramp is what lets you defend early stalker/4 gate pressure. If your opponent tries pushing up your ramp, ff behind the stalkers and have your zealots/sentries destroy them, making your voids safer.
- Usually I push out once I have 3 voids and the 4th on the way, it seems to be a solid timing where it's enough to overpower most opponents, if nothing else it usually allows me to get an expo up to get ahead.
Replays:
vs Blink Stalker Rush
vs Early Stalker Pressure then 4 Gate all in
vs 4 Gate Pressure to defend an early expo
vs 2 Gate Robo
Closing Note:
Let me know what you guys think, and if you have any success with it. I've been beating 2200+ Diamonds when I'm only ~950 myself. I'll try to reply to everyone and update this post often, and I can post more replays if requested. (Also I know my play can be very sloppy lol, I know I need to do a lot of improving)
EDIT:
Posts from people who have tried this build:
+ Show Spoiler +
On November 29 2010 16:30 Vaporak wrote:
I like to do pretty much this build in PvP, much more interesting than playing the Colloxen/4Gate game most Protoss do. Early defense is really scary and razer thin with this build, but it has a very strong midgame vs Robo or Blink stalker armies because most of them will depend so much on stalkers, which are just terrible units. I won my last 2 PvP's against one of each of those builds pretty convincingly at ~1700 diamond so it's at least not a terrible strategy. I do wonder how much of a future it has though since I've never seen it in any tournaments.
I like to do pretty much this build in PvP, much more interesting than playing the Colloxen/4Gate game most Protoss do. Early defense is really scary and razer thin with this build, but it has a very strong midgame vs Robo or Blink stalker armies because most of them will depend so much on stalkers, which are just terrible units. I won my last 2 PvP's against one of each of those builds pretty convincingly at ~1700 diamond so it's at least not a terrible strategy. I do wonder how much of a future it has though since I've never seen it in any tournaments.
On November 30 2010 06:08 CurLy[] wrote:
This is a very strong build, voids are just strong as hell vs stalkers if you keep them alive. 3/3 so far. I've used a lot of voids vs terran but haven't given it much of a test in pvp.
Good forcefields are crucial, ill post some reps after class
My take:
Don't keep just making zealot sentry void ray, Add in stalkers once you have too many zealots to properly engage a choke. You are going to get FF'ed and you need to be dealing damage still so throw in a few stalkers once you have enough sentries and can spare some gas.
Its fun as hell too ^^
This is a very strong build, voids are just strong as hell vs stalkers if you keep them alive. 3/3 so far. I've used a lot of voids vs terran but haven't given it much of a test in pvp.
Good forcefields are crucial, ill post some reps after class
My take:
Don't keep just making zealot sentry void ray, Add in stalkers once you have too many zealots to properly engage a choke. You are going to get FF'ed and you need to be dealing damage still so throw in a few stalkers once you have enough sentries and can spare some gas.
Its fun as hell too ^^
On November 30 2010 08:13 Goldbug wrote:
This build works great. Timing push with 3 voids. Stalkers are NOT that good against voids with the zealots slicing through them. Use the voids as bait, the zealots are as much the dps in this build as the void rays are. They won't have more than one collosus at the time you push out. I have yet to lose with this strat. This works really well against robo builds, or, counter-intuitively stalker heavy builds, as without zealots as meat, your zealots will rip through the stalkers as they try to micro to kill your void rays. I like the psychological effect of void rays as it seems they will do anything to focus them down. Use that to your advantage and micro them back letting the zealots slice away the stalkers trying to work their way through.
This build works great. Timing push with 3 voids. Stalkers are NOT that good against voids with the zealots slicing through them. Use the voids as bait, the zealots are as much the dps in this build as the void rays are. They won't have more than one collosus at the time you push out. I have yet to lose with this strat. This works really well against robo builds, or, counter-intuitively stalker heavy builds, as without zealots as meat, your zealots will rip through the stalkers as they try to micro to kill your void rays. I like the psychological effect of void rays as it seems they will do anything to focus them down. Use that to your advantage and micro them back letting the zealots slice away the stalkers trying to work their way through.
On November 30 2010 12:53 Gr1m wrote:
I've tried this is my last 5 pvp games, and I've won all 5
Needless to say it's my core build right now in pvp. The timing attacks work really well with 1 void (to pressure / take down there natural, and then again with 3-4 voids for a strong push to set up my third. I do find after getting my third that switching to robo tech really punishes an opponent who is even a little to stalker heavy.
I've tried this is my last 5 pvp games, and I've won all 5
Needless to say it's my core build right now in pvp. The timing attacks work really well with 1 void (to pressure / take down there natural, and then again with 3-4 voids for a strong push to set up my third. I do find after getting my third that switching to robo tech really punishes an opponent who is even a little to stalker heavy.
General Consensus
+ Show Spoiler +
This build RAPES Robo builds, if you scout your opponent going for a fast Robo this is a great build to use. A skilled opponent using 4-gate or Blink Stalkers is quite scary early, but if you hold your army will end up coming out ahead. In high levels of Diamond it is quite possible this build may not be able to hold the initial push (possible fix vs either of these builds may be doing 2 gate robo for Zealot-Immortal then adding a Stargate for Voids)
On November 30 2010 13:17 KiWiKaKi wrote:
stargate first builds cant work , any good opponent will win with 4 gates , or blink stalkers which is super popular in korea. Voidrays are good but not used like this , if you want a good build use 2 gates robo - zealots immortals and then add a stargate for voidrays immortals zealots.
stargate first builds cant work , any good opponent will win with 4 gates , or blink stalkers which is super popular in korea. Voidrays are good but not used like this , if you want a good build use 2 gates robo - zealots immortals and then add a stargate for voidrays immortals zealots.